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“Party not ready for 2027 as crisis deepens”
African Democratic Congress (ADC) stakeholders have criticised the leadership of the party under former Senate President, retired General David Mark, describing it as “weak” and allegedly incapable of resisting undue influence in the running of the party.
The stakeholders, in a statement signed by their Coordinator, Justin Ahamefula, and issued in Kaduna, also accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of allegedly dictating the pace of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
According to the group, the alleged dominance of Atiku has raised serious concerns about the ADC’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections, particularly against the backdrop of unresolved disputes and court cases involving the party and its candidates in several states.
The stakeholders said, “The ADC, as it stands today, is not ready for the 2027 general elections because of the crisis and unresolved issues surrounding its candidates and leadership.”
They specifically cited unresolved governorship matters in Adamawa, Sokoto, Imo, Kano and Borno states, as well as legal disputes involving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the party and some of its candidates.
The group alleged that the crisis in Adamawa State was linked to an attempt to replace the party’s governorship candidate, Omar Suleiman, with Tukur Modibo, who reportedly came second in the party’s governorship primary.
They alleged that Atiku had asked the National Chairman, David Mark, to effect the change.
The stakeholders said, “Atiku has no justified reason to replace the party’s candidate in Adamawa State with a candidate who came second in the primary.”
They further accused the former Vice President of allowing ethnic and religious considerations to influence the party’s internal affairs.
According to them, “We are concerned about the alleged use of religious and tribal sentiments in the running of the ADC and the alleged imposition of candidates on what we consider to be a weak party leadership.”
The group questioned the ability of the current leadership to manage the growing disagreements within the party, alleging that the situation had created an atmosphere in which established party procedures were being disregarded.
They described the situation as “an attitude of thugs in the motor parks, where orderliness is reduced to the background.”
The stakeholders argued that the controversy surrounding the Adamawa governorship ticket could have serious political consequences for the ADC if not urgently addressed.
They said Omar Suleiman remained, in their view, a competent and experienced politician capable of mounting a strong challenge in the 2027 governorship election.
“Suleiman is a very competent and experienced person. He represents a strong political option and, in our view, enjoys significant confidence among the people of Adamawa State,” the group stated.
The stakeholders therefore called on INEC to reject any alleged substitution that did not comply with the law and the party’s internal processes.
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They said, “INEC should act in the interest of peace, equity, fairness and natural justice. Any substitution must be subjected to the provisions of the law and the legitimate outcome of the party’s primary.”
The group warned that if the ADC proceeded with what they described as an unjustified substitution, it could lose the 2027 governorship election in Adamawa State.
“If the party goes ahead with the substitution, the ADC may follow the APC and lose the next governorship election in Adamawa State,” they warned, adding that other viable political parties and competent candidates were already positioning themselves for the contest.
The stakeholders further claimed that “the masses in Adamawa State have greater confidence in Omar Suleiman’s candidature going into 2027 than in the candidates of some other political parties”.
In a related development, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has also criticised Atiku Abubakar’s presidential candidacy under the ADC and faulted the handling of the party’s Adamawa State governorship primary.
Lawal made his position known in a Facebook post on Sunday titled “Kachalla Series Three”.
In the post, Lawal alleged that the ADC had replaced Omar Suleiman, whom he said won the party’s Adamawa governorship primary, with Tukur Modibo.
He attributed the alleged substitution to ethnic considerations and claimed that Atiku influenced the decision.
Lawal further alleged that the substitution was influenced by Atiku because of ethnic and religious considerations, claiming that Suleiman was disadvantaged because he is from the Kilba ethnic group.
The former SGF also questioned the political implications of the development, particularly for a party seeking to present itself as a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 elections.
The latest allegations have added to the growing controversy surrounding the ADC’s internal affairs and the extent of Atiku’s influence within the party.
The stakeholders said the ADC leadership must demonstrate independence, fairness and respect for internal democratic processes if the party hopes to build credibility ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“A political party cannot claim to be an alternative to the existing political establishment if its own internal processes are not transparent, democratic and fair,” the stakeholders said.
They urged the party leadership to resolve the various disputes immediately, saying continued internal wrangling could undermine the ADC’s chances of presenting itself as a serious political force in 2027.
They also called on all stakeholders in the party to put the interests of the ADC and the Nigerian people above personal, ethnic or religious considerations.
